Smart Moves for Your 2017 Tax Return

Excited about the new tax law? Well, keep calm as you sit down to do your 2017 return. With just a couple of exceptions, neither the promising nor the threatening changes will affect the bottom line on the forms due this April. If you itemized in the past, you'll probably itemize again. And if your personal situation in 2017 was similar to what it was the year before, your tax bill probably won't change much, either.

However, if you took steps toward the end of 2017 to prepare for the new law, you may encounter some speed bumps on the road to filing your tax return. Luckily, you'll have a couple more days to figure things out. Because April 15 is on a Sunday and April 16 is a holiday in Washington, D.C., you have until April 17 to file your federal tax return. But don't use that as an excuse to procrastinate. Filing early